The Bird and the Wyrm

I nodded thoughtfully to myself then packed the jar into the backpack. I finished off the bit of food I’d put together, drank some water, then put them both back through the tent then packed it all away. When I was just down to the tent and backpack again, I went to check on you.

It had become a compulsive habit for me now, and I was very aware of it. But I wasn’t going to do anything about it, at least right now. Watching your evenly rising and falling chest and seeing your eyelashes quiver as you dreamt was almost calming now to me, or as close to calming as anything was going to get.

I brushed a lock of hair from your ear then leaned forward to press my forehead against yours, checking for fever. There wasn’t one but the impulse to kiss you burst to the foreground.

I didn’t know what was going to happen next. Maybe this would be the end of me and this quiet time now would be the last I’d get to look at you. Was that justification enough?

I hesitated, then finally leaned closer and kissed you on the cheek. I’d feel too guilty if I went for lips, but I couldn’t deny the serious possibility that I could be dead in the next few minutes.

Heart racing in my chest, I straightened, turned, then stripped off all my clothes, dropping them to the ground by you and the backpack. The only thing I kept were my jeans which I tied very loosely around his neck.

"I know you’re there!" I shouted. "I know that all this is just an illusion, so just come out and get this over with!"

There was no echo after my shout, the lush forest having devoured up my voice.

I took a deep breath then shouted again. "This is a forest without much light, so why is there grass growing right under the trees?! And the rocks! They should be covered with lichen and grime but they look more like river rocks!"

This time there was a slight echo and I caught sight of a brief sparkle in the darkness of the trees.

I grit my teeth and continued my critique.